--This time, he had finally squeezed all the blood, vomit and tears out of his body.
Just how much should I cry?
Just how much should I suffer?
What have I done that is so unforgivable? What is it about my actions that displeases me so much? Why can't they just make it easy for me?
He was wounded, his heart was trampled on, his loved ones were taken from him, he was unable to save those he should have protected, and the life of the person he held most dear was cruelly taken with his own hands.
Who exactly is this punishment for?
"I, I am..."
I was wrong. I was mistaken. I was getting carried away.
She thought that she could use the 『Witch's Curse』 that had clung to her soul, since she had managed to turn it to her advantage once. Her careless belief that she could return even after death furthered this belief, leading her to underestimate the abhorrent existence of 『Witches』.
The accumulation of all these things has resulted in the terrible situation we see before our eyes now.
Subaru collapses, with Emilia on his lap, his vacant eyes wandering.
How much time had passed since Emilia lost her life? Her body had grown cold to the touch, and the fresh blood that had sprayed on Subaru from her mouth had lost its heat and gone cold.
Her soft body was beginning to harden in every part, forcing Subaru to understand that what was happening before his eyes was a reality that could no longer be denied.
And yet, even understanding that, I still can't see why my emotions are stirred up.
I'm tired. I've suffered so much, so why not stop now? How many people in this world have suffered as much as Subaru?
I tried harder than I ever had before, and I made every effort to do something about it. But the worst was inevitable, and disaster sneered at me.
If whatever he did was useless, idle, and meaningless, then it might as well end here――
"--It's as if he's trying to say, 'I'm the most unfortunate person in the world.'"
The voice looked down at Subaru, who stood there in a daze, and did not hide its contempt.
In a room where no one should have been, Subaru raised his head in response to an auditory hallucination-like sound, and turned his gaze towards the entrance of the room.
His head slowly turned, frustratingly slowly, and then, as his vision finally came into focus, he saw a girl looking at him.
She was a beautiful girl with long cream-colored hair that was parted in two large curls and wearing a luxurious dress that looked like something a Western doll would wear.
He lives in this mansion, and is the last person whose face I had not seen during all those repeated days, even though he was supposed to be in the mansion.
"Bear Triss..."
"I guess your spineless face has gotten even more spineless since I last saw you."
The girl - Beatrice - crossed her thin arms, lifted her chin slightly and surveyed the terrible scene in the room. She saw the blood-stained floor, Subaru, and Emilia submerged in a pool of blood,
"That was quite a spectacular thing to do."
She described the situation very matter-of-factly, with a sigh.
Looking at Emilia, who had stopped moving, and Subaru holding her in his arms with a vacant look in his eyes, was that the only thought that came to mind?
Subaru didn't even feel that slight resentment right now.
As the person who created this tragedy, I have no right to feel righteous indignation, and giving in to my rage would only make me more tired.
In that sense, Subaru was grateful that Beatrice had not turned pale and pressed him for answers. While he was grateful, it would have been even better if she had just left Subaru to be devastated by the situation.
"I wonder if Nicha will come out."
As she spoke, the girl walked up beside him and bent her knees. Being petite, she lowered her body so that her head was almost at the same height as Subaru's, who was still seated.
The girl looked at Subaru, who was motionless with hollow eyes, and pierced his profile with the same disdainful gaze,
"He doesn't seem to listen when I tell him to look for it... I wonder if he doesn't want to do it because his hands will get dirty."
Muttering reluctantly in a small voice, Beatrice reached out her hand to the lying Emilia. As Subaru wondered absentmindedly if she would do anything for the dead Emilia, her small hand slid smoothly into Emilia's arms.
Her hands and gestures as she fumbles around inside the container don't convey any magical elements whatsoever. She's simply searching Emilia's body.
Subaru felt an indescribable discomfort at her behavior, and opened his mouth to reproach her. However, his parched lips only let out a raspy sigh, and he made no attempt to form any meaningful words. And, ignoring Subaru's efforts,
"I wonder if it's warm."
Beatrice removed her hands from her clothes and held them up, revealing a glowing green crystal on top. It looked familiar; it was one of the crystals Emilia possessed.
The spirit she had a contract with - the one Puck used as a vessel and which Emilia carried close to her at all times.
The crystal stone is now
"It broke..."
"The person who broke it is being dishonest... but it seems you don't even realize it."
Looking sadly at the stone that had broken in two in her palm, Beatrice dropped it to the floor. With a soft thud, the stone sank into the blood where it landed. The sparkling green light became wet with the color of fresh blood, and the dull light eventually disappeared.
--What happened to the broken crystal and the spirit that was supposed to be inside it?
What happened to the spirit who called the girl sleeping in his arms his "daughter" and loved her more than anyone else? What was he thinking?
"There's no need to worry. Nicha won't die. Since he's lost his vessel, it will just take a little time for him to come here. --I don't think we have much time."
Answering Subaru's silent question as if it were a given, Beatrice let her long hair flow down her back. Subaru felt relieved as he watched her curls bouncing back and forth.
If that spirit is alive and comes to this place, then surely.
"--Is there anything you'd like to say?"
Subaru sighed in a sense of relief that was completely out of place. Still at eye level with him, Beatrice asked him in a gentle voice.
The calmness of her voice made Subaru wonder why she harbored no emotion whatsoever about the situation, but he had no desire to say it aloud.
Subaru mumbled, but instead of asking Beatrice a puzzling question, he spoke something more purely selfish,
"Kill me."
They were words that took advantage of her kindness, clung to her, and rejected her good feelings.
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I wanted to kill him right away.
I'm so fed up with everything. I'm so tired of everything. I'm fed up with everything. There's no hope left in this world.
I wanted to just die. I wanted to die and end everything. Even if I could die and start over, I'm sure it would all end the same. Whether I could die and start over or not, at the very least I didn't want to be in this world anymore.
Emilia dies, Rem is erased from existence, and Subaru receives no reward.
that's why,
"Kill me, please..."
The end was Subaru's only salvation right now.
If hating what you should hate and acting on behalf of what you want to protect are no longer excuses for keeping your heart alive.
If there's anything I can ask of you, please peck at this helpless life.
Trampling on the dignity of the lives I care about, wasting my feelings, and abandoning myself to nothing, this pitiful, foolish body of mine, please burn it up and destroy it.
The girl in front of him, endowed with supernatural powers, should be able to do it.
She probably hated Subaru, and if she were to grant his wish, she would surely give him a cruel and foolish end befitting his actions.
Subaru, the foolish human, had died nine times and nothing had changed.
This is the tenth time. It's a nice round number. It's a good time to show my affection to gods, Buddhas, goddesses, and witches. So,
"Kill me here."
As he holds Emilia's body, Subaru pleads with Beatrice.
If this was to be the end, then he wanted to end it with her body in his arms. Subaru's selfishness had been so great that it had brought about the worst possible outcome.
Subaru tightened his arms around her, closed his eyes and waited for the end.
And then there was a period of silence.
This suddenly resonated with Subaru, who was selfishly immersed in the peaceful time all by himself.
"...That's it."
"--picture?"
It was a small, weak, husky voice.
Subaru couldn't help but ask again, and opened his eyes to look up at the girl. The girl who had been crouching next to him stood up and looked down at him.
He was holding that small body in his hands, as if he was feeling cold.
"Telling Betty to kill you... that's just too cruel..."
Hearing this with a crying face and voice, Subaru was at a loss as to what to do.
He blinks, again and again, waiting for the expression on the girl beside him to change. But no matter how many times he does this, the deep, tragic expression on her face remains unchanged.
It was a look unlike any other she had ever shown Subaru.
After all, she disliked Subaru, she was always cold towards him, and sometimes her kind-hearted side that couldn't ignore his feelings was visible, but fundamentally, he thought she was a person who was capable of being completely cruel.
I knew that my proposal would not be accepted outright, that it might even be rejected, but that it would be met with contempt and ridicule.
"You don't understand anything... You don't understand anything at all..."
She never thought that her request to kill Subaru would be rejected with such sadness.
"B-Beatrice...?"
"I won't listen to any of your wishes. If you want to die, then just go ahead and die... Betty, that's not what you want."
Shaking her head, Beatrice closed her eyes and silenced her expression. The tears that welled up in her eyes were hidden deep within them without flowing, and the girl raised her arms,
"The view...?!"
It started to distort.
Subaru saw the space around him distort and cracks form. It seemed like a sign that the world was about to collapse, and feeling lonely, he instinctively hugged the cold body in his arms.
Looking down at it, Beatrice muttered in a cold voice, "That's the worst."
"Everything is already hopeless, but I'd be in trouble if you were to stay here. At the very least, I'd like you to protect this mansion."
"What... No, Beatrice, you..."
"--Betty is different from Roswaal. She hates pain, difficulty, suffering, sadness, and fear, even if it means gaining a future."
A question that isn't a question is met with an answer that isn't an answer.
However, Subaru was unable to form words due to the painful emotion contained in those words, and his body was caught in the twist of the distorted space. -There was no pain.
"At the very least, I want you to die somewhere where Betty can't see you."
The last mutter was feigned coldness, but was accompanied by a terribly lonely smile.
I couldn't say anything, I didn't understand anything. But there was one thing that was conveyed to me.
--Beatrice was saddened by Subaru's decision and actions.
The distortion reaches its limit, and the distorted space explodes into nothingness.
For an instant, a strange sensation like noise in one's field of vision swept across the world, and immediately afterwards the distortion in the atmosphere was no longer to be found anywhere.
All that remained was the blood-stained floor, gouged out, and the only remnants of Subaru and Emilia having disappeared.
Beatrice stood beside the two who had vanished, a tired looking woman placing a hand on her forehead and covering her eyes with her hand to hide herself from the world.
"--Mother, how much longer will Betty be?"
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--Subaru was thrown out of the rift in space and was caught by a pile of moss-covered vegetation.
"Woah!"
Without warning, he plunges his face into it, tastes grass in his mouth, and looks up. He hurriedly spits out the dirt, leaves, and the insect caught in his front teeth.
"Ugh, oh, haah...where am I...?"
Shaking off the feeling of disgust at the bugs crawling up his cheek, Subaru looked around, brow furrowing.
What came into view was a group of dim trees, and as I looked around, I could see no sign of the chain ending.
"The forest... the forest at night..."
Luckily, the moonlight is not blocked, so I can just about see.
The wind rustling the leaves and the chirping of insects dominate this world, no doubt the forest of twilight. Thinking this far, Subaru realizes that it had taken him a full half day to wake up in the mansion.
at the same time,
"Spatial teleportation... is that the correct way to think of it?"
The air distorted, throwing him into the resulting crack and hurling him into the forest.
Unless this was a stage that could be called a hidden back garden within the mansion, it would be safe to assume that she had been teleported somewhere far away. If it was Beatrice who had done it, then she possessed the power to freely connect the doors of her library to other rooms.
However, even if I understand that, I still don't understand her true intentions.
When Subaru asked her to kill him, she refused and used spatial teleportation to force him out of the mansion. Even now, the image of her crying face remains in his mind.
He had thought that if he refused, she would just refuse to look at it and leave him alone. And yet, she looked at Subaru as if she was disappointed――
"That's like..."
It seems like there was some expectation.
Subaru shook his head in denial, calling that an extremely selfish and self-centered way of thinking.
I already understood, I accepted, that I was a jinx who could do nothing. The world was hopelessly merciless, and the people I tried to save all met a brutal end.
What could they expect from Subaru, who knows this but is powerless to stop it?
If you can't expect anything from yourself, then no one else can expect anything from you.
Moreover, it would be far too arrogant to expect this from someone who was supposed to dislike him.
"There's nothing I can do about it..."
With a rough smile on his face, Subaru slowly raised his knees, but when they didn't move as he had expected, he realized too late what had happened.
--On his lap was Emilia's corpse, just like in the room in the mansion.
"Emi, Ria..."
In a dark world, a pale face dimly illuminated by the moonlight.
The death was neither agonizing nor peaceful, but filled with confusion and not knowing what had happened. His heart had been crushed suddenly in a world where time had stopped while he was still alive. It was doubtful he even had time to understand the pain.
However, I didn't think that not feeling any pain would be a relief.
Subaru hadn't experienced many instant deaths, but he had died nine times more than the average person. He didn't want to think that any of those deaths were peaceful, and he didn't think death was a relief either. --Except for his current self, that is.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, seriously... sorry."
As I look down at her face, drops of water fall onto her white cheeks.
The tears that she thought had dried up welled up again, and once again began to inflict endless torture on Subaru.
He could hear voices. Voices condemning him. Everyone he had met hurled abuse at him with cold anger.
Among them was a girl with silver hair and a girl with blue hair.
"Someone...anyone, it's fine..."
--Kill me.
While being showered with lingering abuse, Subaru stood up, holding Emilia in his arms.
He stepped on the grass, split the branches, and began to walk slowly through the night forest.
In the distance, you can hear the howling of an animal.
If it were now, I feel like I would be able to accept meeting that horned black demon dog with a smile. I want it to kill me, devour my flesh and blood, and my mana, to the roots and roots.
Right now, I don't deserve a beautiful death like Emilia's.
I want them to be trampled and killed so cruelly that they lose all sense of humanity and dignity.
Otherwise, if he didn't do that, Natsuki Subaru wouldn't be saved.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
While walking through the forest, Subaru noticed something.
"Here...across this ditch, and..."
Carefully descending the slope, I used the protruding roots as stairs to get over them. Not being able to use both arms took a toll on my stamina more than I had expected, but for some reason I didn't feel tired.
His body, overworked beyond its physical limits, kept his screams at bay, and his worn-out mind sharpened his concentration. With only the lower half of his body in use, he traversed the darkness smoothly, and his vision, which should be impossible to see even a few meters ahead, was as clear as if a light was shining through it.
It wasn't just because Subaru was exerting himself like a flame on the verge of burning out his body - but also because, simply put, it was a path he was familiar with.
There――,
"Ah, there you are."
A smile of relief, of irrelevant emotion, came to his lips.
It was a manic laugh only a blood-stained, mentally worn person could pull off, a sinister smile that would make anyone it was aimed at shrink back in disgust and choose to distance themselves from it.
However, those on the receiving end of it were accustomed to that kind of manic laughter.
--Subaru was surrounded by a group of people dressed in all black outfits that blended into the darkness.
They emerged as if floating out of the shadows of the forest and surrounded Subaru, voiceless and soundless, their presence fading as they stared fixedly at him.
As they gazed upon him, devoid of any sense of hostility, kindness, malice or goodwill, Subaru recalled the world in which he had first encountered them.
Yes, at that time――,
"Same here..."
As if echoing the image they had just recalled, the men in black costumes all bowed their heads in unison.
This is the first time they, who had no intention of doing so, have shown Subaru "respect."
Subaru didn't know the details of why they felt this way, but what was clear was that they were followers of the Witch Cult, and that the darkness surrounding Subaru had some sort of connection to that witch.
"--Get out of the way."
I think there were actually a lot of things I wanted to ask.
Before I gave up on everything like this, there were a mountain of things I wanted to question him about. But now, even such sentimentality is useless.
Subaru gave a brief command, and without protest, the men in black slid back down, sinking into the darkness.
As soon as they disappeared from view, the world, which was originally silent, seemed to become even more silent.
Suddenly, I can no longer hear the chirps of insects or the sound of the wind.
Did all living things hate them? Even in the previous world, when the Witch Cult appeared, not even a single insect's cry was heard.
Or perhaps it meant that Subaru's presence alongside the Witch Cult was a despicable situation. --That seemed like a fitting assessment to her right now.
The obstacles that weren't really obstacles had disappeared, but thanks to them Subaru gained confidence.
Subaru's steps, which had originally been fairly unwavering, now had no sign of hesitation whatsoever, and he continued moving forward unstoppable, climbing over roots and stepping onto the earth.
Their steps eventually opened up into the forest and they reached a rocky area with steep cliffs.
--There was a cavern blocked by a huge rock,
"I have been waiting for you, my beloved disciple."
A skinny man greeted him, smiling manically like Subaru.
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"Oh my? And what if what if what if what if what what, is that person you're holding in your arms... a half-demon girl?"
Stepping on the grass, Petelgeuse tilted his head as he saw Emilia in Subaru's arms. Then, with his head level with the ground, he stuck out his tongue in amusement, spilling saliva.
"For him to lose his life before he could even undergo our trial... what misfortune! What a tragedy! Ah! And and and and... how diligent you are! Before we could even make a move, you took the half-demon's body! His life!!"
Betelgeuse waves his arms and shouts in exaggerated fashion about Emilia's death.
Before he knew it, the believers had crawled out of the cave in droves and surrounded him, all listening intently to the madness of Betelgeuse.
It's crazy.
"I'm... hardworking...?"
"Yes! That's right! Diligence! Ah, how wonderful! You are slow to judge, slow to think, and unlike us who lack the determination to put our actions into action! You are the first to embody the will of the witch!"
Hearing the husky mutter, Petelgeuse ran up to Subaru with a joyous smile, slid down to his knees, slammed both hands onto the ground with all his might, and cried out, "Compared to that!"
"How slow, foolish, and lacking I am with my fingertips! Ah! Forgive me! For my incompetence in not being able to repay your love! For the unfaithfulness of my laziness! For this lacking being who cannot respond to the love you give me! Please, please forgive me...!"
Petelgeuse sheds tears and slams both his arms against the rock face, causing wounds.
Even though blood splatters from his violent self-inflicted injuries and bones are visible from the wounds on his torn wrists, his murderous acts do not stop. Rather than stopping them, the other followers around him kneel down in imitation of Betelgeuse, each one expressing their gratitude to the being who is their slayer in their own way.
Subaru felt nothing when he saw the crazy behavior of those madmen.
If it had been Subaru just a day ago, he would have run to take the life of Petelgeuse, regardless of the consequences.
But now, seeing the man he was supposed to hate right in front of him, it didn't evoke any emotion, nor did it change his desires.
"Oh, what can I do for you, who completed the trials in place of me, a failure who was unable to return her feelings? Please tell me. What can I do to show my love that I am not lazy?"
"Kill me."
Subaru quietly told Petelgeuse, who approached him and begged him in tears.
Upon hearing those words out of nowhere, even Petelgeuse was stunned by the expression on his face――
"Is that okay?"
Without a moment's hesitation, he pushes Subaru away.
Subaru stepped on the bellows and stepped back, and as he gazed upon him, Petelgeuse made a look of ecstasy,
"Oh, how wonderful, how wonderful indeed! How diligent I am, completing the trials and instantly bringing salvation and love to those believers who seek it! Oh, I no longer need to be lazy! I am grateful to you! For my diligence, for my love!"
Without any doubt about Subaru's thoughtful answer, without any remorse for his own actions, and unwavering in the laws of this world, Petelgeuse unleashes his murderous intent.
Seeing the madman, Subaru felt a stir inside and closed his eyes.
--With this, at the very least, Subaru's feelings at this moment were reciprocated.
"Even so"
As Subaru senses the murderous intent approaching, Petelgeuse mutters something.
"You can't even overcome one trial, you can't even face one of the deadly sins, and after all your great ambitions you stumble at the first stone..."
it is,
"--- Ah, you're ``slothful''!"
Because it was an insult to Emilia's death.
"――――"
The moment he opened his eyes, Subaru saw a black mist in the shape of a palm approaching before him.
For a moment, the memory of the pain flashes through my mind, and my heart trembles. But there is one thing that is different from before. My body moves. My legs move. My arms move. And that is why I can dodge.
Subaru dodged the approaching black palm and flew to the side with Emilia still in his arms. The palm passed by and vanished in confusion, and Subaru, following it with his eyes, let out a rough breath. And,
"...Hello, have you seen the invisible hand just now?"
With a trembling voice, Betelgeuse opened his shining eyes and looked at Subaru.
He thrust his twig-thin fingers into his mouth and bit off the tips of each one in turn. With each bite, the flesh exploded, the bones cracked, and blood dripped out.
「No, no. It's wrong. It's strange, it's wrong, it's incorrect, it's wrong. My authority, the authority of 『Sloth』, my 『Invisible Hand』, bestowed upon me through favor! It is not permissible for others to see it!!」
Spitting out blood and chewing on the bits of nail and bone remaining in his mouth, Betelgeuse turned his bloodshot eyes towards Subaru.
There was an unmistakable murderous intent shining from it, setting it apart from the fanaticism that had emanated from it up until then. What was in it was a murderous emotion born out of pure hatred for the existence of Subaru.
--Suddenly, a black arm erupted from behind Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse's shadow split, forming seven separate palms. They looked just like the cursed arms that appeared when Subaru tried to reveal "Return by Death," and as he caught sight of them, fear ran down Subaru's spine.
However,
"If you can see it..."
There is nothing that can't be avoided.
The speed of the black arm is by no means fast. Its long range and the strength to tear apart a human body are fearsome, but what is essentially terrifying is its "invisible" nature.
And for Subaru now, where that skill did not work, he was nothing more than a burnt ash that had burned away his life, unable to reach the Subaru who was displaying extraordinary physical abilities.
"Why, why ...
"The only thing I didn't want was for you to kill me."
He spun around to avoid the palm, then dodged the other fingertips that reached out with a leap forward. He immediately crouched down to avoid the arms approaching from both sides, and rolled close to Betelgeuse.
He takes pleasure in watching the crazy behavior twist in shock, and a dark pleasure erupts in cheers.
--I remembered. I had wanted to kill this man.
"--Bugaaah!"
He lunges forward with his forehead in the air, and headbutts Petelgeuse's nose. Defenseless, Petelgeuse catches the blow and recoils, blood spilling everywhere. Subaru also flies backwards, feeling a sharp pain in his forehead.
His palm lost its precision and went wild, and the blood dripping from his forehead stained it red. His front teeth must have hit him, cutting his forehead. Bleeding profusely entered his eyes, and he lost sight in his right eye for a moment.
—Using that opening, Subaru's body was thrown using his grabbed leg as a fulcrum.
At the moment he was slammed into the tree, Subaru didn't flinch, but instead held tightly to Emilia, who he was still holding in his arms.
Not as if clinging to something, but as if protecting it.
"--Grrr!"
He crashed into my back with all his might and I felt my spine break.
Several of his ribs were broken at once, and several of the newly repaired wounds reopened all at once, starting a chorus of excruciating pain, and Subaru began twitching like an insect on the ground as he fell.
"Disgraceful! It's not disgraceful! Ah, I'm relieved. I'm truly relieved. If I continue to be "lazy" like this, then all my actions will be for nothing. Ah, I will work hard and strive for love..."
"Shut up, you idiot..."
Subaru loudly yelled abuse at the madman who was trying to laugh at his superiority.
His breathing was strange and he could sense the extensive damage being done to his lungs. They were all competing over who felt the most pain in their stomachs, and their consciousness was flickering white.
Even so, Subaru laughs, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"What the hell is this love, you idiot? The love you were supposed to have received is... I can see it too, can't I? ...If you cheat on me, you get what you deserve."
"What! Say it… say it, say it, say it, say it, say it, say it… my brain, my brain is trembling rrrrrrrrrrrr."
Foam spilling from the corners of his lips, Betelgeuse became enraged.
He walked up to Subaru and kicked Emilia, who he was still holding in his arms, and kicked the corpse away from Subaru with all his might.
Subaru had no strength in his fingertips and was unable to hold on to Emilia as she was kicked away.
Emilia rolled, colliding with the roots of trees and coming to a halt. Glancing at her body, Petelgeuse sneered cruelly,
"I will not allow my love to be insulted! Yes, I've decided, I've decided! The half-demon who was supposed to give him the trial is dead, but the sins of those who shamelessly hid and promoted him remain!"
Screaming, venting his anger, Betelgeuse trampled on Subaru. He stomped his heel into his palm, and as Subaru tried to scream, the black palm tightened around his neck.
Subaru's breathing was cut off, his torso was being pulled up by a force that felt as if it was trying to tear his neck off, and the bones that made up the core of his body were being crushed, leaving him unable to even cry out in excruciating pain.
Seeing Subaru like that, Petelgeuse looked a little relieved,
"First, I will eradicate everyone connected to the mansion, then I will ask for the lives of the nearby villagers to be sacrificed. Leaving nothing behind, cutting corners is proof of being ``lazy''. I, who place diligence above all else, and my fingertips will take everything and bring it all down. --The blockade of the highway has already been completed! No one can cross the fog and get in my way!"
Petelgeuse spits in excitement and starts yelling at Subaru.
Then he exhaled a fishy breath at Subaru, "Before that,"
"It seems like you were holding it very dearly... I wonder how sweetly it will cry if we destroy that half-demon's body?"
Petelgeuse tilted his head, his lips curled, his eyes shining with curiosity. From behind him, five arms other than the one strangling Subaru rose up, each moving independently towards Emilia's corpse.
Each one took a limb and her neck in his hand,
"Can you see it? Can you understand what's going to happen next?"
"...erotic..."
The fear that comes from being able to see it now assails Subaru.
She remembered vividly what the man's black arm had done to Rem's body when he was out of sight, and now it was aimed at Emilia's.
Subaru's view of life and death is a dry one. A lifeless body is nothing but a mass of flesh, and there is no possibility of a soul residing there. There is no heaven or hell, and when one dies, only darkness awaits.
That's how I've lived my life, embracing the idea of being cool and having a dry view of life and death, and even after coming to this world, I haven't changed my mind.
I regret that now.
Even if her soul did not reside in her body, that body was Emilia. There was no way that her soul would not cry out in grief at being violated.
But now, Subaru had no power to stop it, and Petelgeuse's laughter deepened even more.
『--What are you doing?』
That voice suddenly rained down from the heavens, landing on the eardrums of everyone present.
"--!"
Petelgeuse's expression changed, and his eyes wandered around, searching for the owner of the voice.
That voice was filled with authoritative power and chilling, sharp-edged anger.
Sure enough, when Betelgeuse looked around, he found it.
Belatedly, Subaru, still enduring the pressure on his neck, saw it with his blurry vision.
"repeat"
--A grey-furred cat was carrying an incredible amount of icicles that seemed to cover the sky.
Their rough breath flashed white, and a world-freezing cold swept through the forest.
The men in black clothing continued to kneel, and Petelgeuse, laughing maniacally, was at a loss for words.
"What are you doing to my daughter, you bastards?"
--The beast of the end that paints the world white has now come to end the world for the tenth time.